Vane supporting apparatus for hermetic compressor

ABSTRACT

A vane supporting apparatus for a hermetic compressor supports vanes contacting to both cam faces of a dividing plate using torsion bars having square or circular cross sections, and thereby a height of the supporting apparatus supporting the respective vanes is lowered to reduce a distance between a motor device unit and a compression device unit, and accordingly, a length of the compressor in shaft direction is reduced to realize miniaturization of the compressor.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to a vane supporting apparatus for a hermetic compressor, and particularly, to a vane supporting apparatus for a hermetic compressor which is able to reduce a length of the compressor in shaft direction by lowering a height.

BACKGROUND ART

[0002] Generally, a hermetic compressor using a vane as a component thereof (hereinafter, referred to as a hermetic compressor) divides an inner space of a cylinder into a suction area and a compression area by installing the vane to be contacted to a rotator body, changes the suction area and the compression area with each other successively according to phases of the rotating body when the rotating body is operated to suck, to compress, and to discharge fluid.

[0003]FIG. 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing an example of a conventional hermetic compressor, and FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged view showing a vane supporting apparatus in the conventional hermetic compressor.

[0004] As shown therein, the conventional hermetic compressor comprises: a motor device unit consisting of a stator (Ms) and a rotor (Mr) for generating driving power on an inner upper portion of a casing 1, and a compression device unit connected to the rotor (Mr) for sucking, compressing and discharging the fluid.

[0005] The compression device unit comprises: a cylinder 2 fixed on a lower part of the casing 1; a first bearing plate 3A and a second bearing plate 3B fixed on an upper surface and on a lower surface of the cylinder 2 to form an inner space of the cylinder 2; a rotating shaft 4 coupled to the rotor (Mr) of the motor device unit and penetratingly coupled to the respective bearing plates 3A and 3B for transmitting the driving power of the motor device unit to the compression device unit; a dividing plate 5 coupled to the rotating shaft 4 or made integrally with the rotating shaft 4 for dividing the inner space of the cylinder 2 into a first space (S1) and a second space (S2); a first vane 6A and a second vane 6B having lower ends and upper ends contacted to both surfaces of the dividing plate 5 respectively for dividing the respective spaces S1 and S2 into the suction area and the compression area when the rotating shaft 4 is rotated; and a first spring assembly 8A and a second spring assembly 8B for elastically supporting the respective vanes 6A and 6B.

[0006] The dividing plate 5 is formed as a disc when it is projected on a plane so that an outer circumferential surface thereof can be slidingly contacted to an inner circumferential surface of the cylinder 2, and both side surfaces of the dividing plate 5 are formed as cam faces of sine wave shape having same thickness from the inner circumferential surface to the outer circumferential surface when these are spread.

[0007] In addition, the first and second vanes 6A and 6B are formed as cuboids, penetrate the respective bearing plates 3A and 3B to be contacted to the lower and upper cam faces of the dividing plate 5 as described above, and reciprocate toward the shaft direction when the rotating shaft 4 is rotated.

[0008] In addition, outer side surfaces of the respective vanes 6A and 6B are contacted or inserted in the inner circumferential surface of the cylinder 2, however, inner side surfaces of the respective vanes 6A and 6B are coupled to be contacted to the outer circumferential surface of the rotating shaft 4 as slid.

[0009] The first spring assembly 8A and the second spring assembly 8B comprise a first and a second supporting springs 8 a and 8 c made of coil compressive spring for supporting rear surfaces of the respective vanes 6A and 6B, and a first spring holder 8 b and a second spring holder 8 d for receiving the respective supporting springs 8 a and 8 c and mounted on the first bearing plate 3A and on the second bearing plate 3B.

[0010] In Figures, unexplained reference numerals 2 a and 2 b represent suction ports of the respective spaces S1 and S2, 3 a and 3 b represent discharge ports, 7A and 7B represent discharge mufflers, 7 a and 7 b are discharge holes, DP is a discharge pipe, and SP represents a suction pipe.

[0011] Hereinafter, operations of the compressor will be described.

[0012] When electric power is applied to the motor device unit to rotate the rotor (Mr), the rotating shaft 4 coupled to the rotor (Mr) is rotated to one direction with the dividing plate 5, and the vanes 6A and 6B contacted to upper and lower side surfaces of the dividing plate 5 reciprocate to opposite directions of each other according to the height of the dividing plate 5 to vary volumes of the first and second spaces S1 and S2.

[0013] And new fluid is sucked simultaneously through the suction ports 2 a and 2 b of the first and second spaces S1 and S2, then compressed, and after that, the compressed fluid is discharged simultaneously through the discharge ports 3 a and 3 b of the respective spaces S1 and S2 as soon as a top dead center or a bottom dead center of the dividing plate 5 reaches to a discharge starting point.

[0014] However, in the conventional compressor, the first spring 8 a and the second spring 8 c supporting the respective vanes 6A and 6B are the compressive coil springs having predetermined lengths in shaft direction of the rotating shaft 4, and therefore, a distance (L1) between the motor device unit and the compression device unit as much as the length of the compressive coil spring is increased, and the entire length of the compressor is increased in the shaft direction.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

[0015] Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a vane supporting apparatus for a compressor which is able to miniaturize the compressor by decreasing a height of supporting members for supporting respective vanes.

[0016] To achieve the object, there is provided a vane supporting apparatus for a hermetic compressor, comprising: a sealed casing; a motor device unit fixedly coupled to an inner upper part of the casing for generating driving power; a cylinder fixedly coupled to a lower part of the casing; a first bearing plate and a second bearing plate fixed on upper and lower surfaces of the cylinder for forming inner space of the cylinder together; a rotating shaft coupled to a rotor of the motor device unit and located as penetrating the respective bearing plates; a dividing plate coupled to the rotating shaft for dividing the inner space into a plurality of sealed spaces in the inner space of the cylinder; a plurality of vanes contacted to both surfaces of the dividing plate and undergone reciprocating movements along with axial line direction when the rotating shaft is rotated for converting the respective sealed spaces into a suction area and a compression area; at least one or more torsion bars having one side elastically supporting the respective vanes; and a fixing member for fixing the other side of the torsion bar on the cylinder.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017]FIG. 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing an example of a conventional hermetic compressor;

[0018]FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged view showing a vane supporting apparatus in the conventional hermetic compressor;

[0019]FIG. 3 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing an embodiment of a hermetic compressor according to the present invention;

[0020]FIG. 4 is a front view showing a vane supporting apparatus in the hermetic compressor according to the present invention;

[0021]FIG. 5 is a plane view showing the vane supporting apparatus in the hermetic compressor according to the present invention;

[0022]FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a coupled status of a torsion bar and a vane in the vane supporting apparatus in the hermetic compressor according to the present invention;

[0023]FIG. 7 is a partially enlarged view showing the vane supporting apparatus for the hermetic compressor according to the present invention; and

[0024]FIG. 8 is a plane view showing another embodiment of the vane supporting apparatus for the hermetic compressor according to the present invention.

MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0025] Hereinafter, a vane supporting apparatus for a hermetic compressor according to the present invention will be described with reference to embodiments shown in accompanying Figures.

[0026]FIG. 3 longitudinal cross-sectional view showing an embodiment of a hermetic compressor according to the present invention, FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 are a front view and a plane view showing a vane supporting apparatus in the hermetic compressor according to the present invention, FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a coupled status of a torsion bar and a vane in the vane supporting apparatus in the hermetic compressor according to the present invention, FIG. 7 is a partially enlarged view showing the vane supporting apparatus for the hermetic compressor according to the present invention, and FIG. 8 is a plane view showing another embodiment of the vane supporting apparatus for the hermetic compressor according to the present invention.

[0027] As shown therein, the compressor including the vane supporting apparatus according to the present invention comprises: a stator (Ms) and a rotor (Mr) fixed on inner upper part of a casing 1 for making a motor device unit, a cylinder 2 fixedly coupled to a lower part of the casing 1, a first bearing plate 3A and a second bearing plate 3B fixed on upper and lower surface of the cylinder for forming an inner space of the cylinder 2 together, a rotating shaft 4 coupled to the rotor (Mr) and penetrating the respective bearing plates 3A and 3B simultaneously, a dividing plate 5 coupled to the rotating shaft 4 or made integrally with the rotating shaft 4 for dividing the inner space of the cylinder 2 into a first space S1 and a second space S2, a first vane 6A and a second vane 6B of which a lower end and an upper end are contacted to both surfaces of the dividing plate 5 to divide the respective spaces S1 and S2 into a suction area and a compression area when the rotating shaft 4 is rotated, and a first torsion bar 11 and a second torsion bar 12 for elastically supporting the respective vanes 6A and 6B.

[0028] The dividing plate 5 is formed as a disc when it is projected on a plane so that an outer circumferential surface of the dividing plate 5 is contacted to the inner circumferential surface of the cylinder 2 as slid, and both side surfaces of the dividing plate 5 are formed as cam faces of sine wave shape having same thickness from the inner circumferential surface to the outer circumferential surface when the side surface is spread.

[0029] In addition, the first vane 6A and the second vane 6B are formed as cuboids roughly, one side surfaces thereof are contacted to upper and lower side cam faces of the dividing plate 5 after penetrating the bearing plates 3A and 3B. In addition, on the other side surfaces, sliding recesses 6 a and 6 b are formed so that the first and the second torsion bars 11 and 12 are mounted after sliding toward the radial direction of the rotating shaft 4.

[0030] The first and second torsion bars 11 and 12, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, make closed loops and are formed as polygons having bent portions (not shown) on intermediate parts thereof. One sides of the bars are mounted on the sliding recesses 6 a and 6 b of the respective vanes 6A and 6B, and the other sides are fixed by being pushed by additional supporting members 21 and 22 coupled or welded on the respective bearing plates 3A and 3B.

[0031] On the other hand, the first torsion bar 11 and the second torsion bar 12 may be formed as the closed loop of singular material as shown in the present embodiment, however, as shown in FIG. 8, these may be formed as opened loops of singular material and fixed on respective surfaces of the bearing plates 3A and 3B.

[0032] Also, the bars may be formed as closed loops or the opened loops, and fixing portion and supporting portion are located on different bearing plates from each other.

[0033] In addition, the first torsion bar 11 and the second torsion bar 12 are formed using a linear material having circular or square cross section.

[0034] In Figures, unexplained reference numerals 2 a and 2 b represent suction ports of the respective spaces, 3 a and 3 b represent discharge ports, 7A and 7B are discharge mufflers, 7 a and 7 b are discharge holes, DP is a discharge pipe, and SP represents a suction pipe.

[0035] Hereinafter, operations and effects of the vane supporting apparatus for the compressor according to the present invention will be described as follows.

[0036] When the electric power is applied to the motor device unit, the rotating shaft 4 is rotated with the dividing plate 5 and the vanes 6A and 6B contacted on upper and lower side surfaces of the dividing plate 5 are undergone reciprocating movements toward upper and lower directions along with the height of the dividing plate 5. In above process, the new fluid is sucked into the first space S1 and the second space S2 of the cylinder simultaneously, compressed gradually, and discharged simultaneously as soon as a top dead center or a bottom dead center of the dividing plate 5 reaches to a discharge starting point, and these processes are repeated.

[0037] At that time, the respective torsion bars 11 and 12 are bent along with the respective vanes 6A and 6B as accumulating elastic force centering around fixing points of the respective supporting members 21 and 22 until the dividing plate 5 reaches to the top dead center or to the bottom dead center, and then, restored from the time point when the first and second spaces S1 and S2 starts to suck and pushes the contacting ends of the respective vanes 6A and 6B so as to adhere to the respective cam faces of the dividing plate 5, and thereby, the first and second spaces S1 and S2 can be maintained as sealed.

[0038] As described above, the vanes 6A and 6B are elastically supported by the first torsion bar 11 and the second torsion bar 12, and thereby, the height of the supporting apparatus for supporting the vanes 6A and 6B can be reduced as shown in FIG. 7, and a distance (L2) between the motor device unit and the compression device unit can be reduced to reduce the entire length of the compressor.

[0039] In the vane supporting apparatus for the hermetic compressor according to the present invention, the vanes contacted to both cam faces of the dividing plate are supported by the torsion bars having square or circular cross sections, and thereby, the height of the supporting apparatus supporting the respective vanes is reduced to narrow the distance between the motor device unit and the compression device unit. Accordingly, the length of the compressor in shaft direction can be reduced, and thereby, the compressor can be miniaturized.

[0040] As the present invention may be embodied in several forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof, it should also be understood that the above-described embodiments are not limited by any of the details of the foregoing description, unless otherwise specified, but rather should be construed broadly within its spirit and scope as defined in the appended claims, and therefore all changes and modifications that fall within the meets and bounds of the claims, or equivalence of such meets and bounds are therefore intended to be embraced by the appended claims. 

1. A vane supporting apparatus for a hermetic compressor, comprising: a sealed casing; a motor device unit fixedly coupled to an inner upper part of the casing for generating driving power; a cylinder fixedly coupled to a lower part of the casing; a first bearing plate and a second bearing plate fixed on upper and lower surfaces of the cylinder for forming inner space of the cylinder together; a rotating shaft coupled to a rotor of the motor device unit and located as penetrating the respective bearing plates; a dividing plate coupled to the rotating shaft for dividing the inner space into a plurality of sealed spaces in the inner space of the cylinder; a plurality of vanes contacted to both surfaces of the dividing plate and undergone reciprocating movements along with axial line direction when the rotating shaft is rotated for converting the respective sealed spaces into a suction area and a compression area; at least one or more torsion bars having one side elastically supporting the respective vanes; and a fixing member for fixing the other side of the torsion bar on the cylinder.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the torsion bars are formed as closed loops having bent portions on intermediate parts thereof.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the torsion bars are formed as opened loops having bent portions on intermediate parts thereof.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the vanes includes sliding recesses on surfaces contacting to the torsion bars so that the torsion bars can be slid toward a radial direction of the cylinder.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the torsion bars have circular or square cross sections. 